“Philosophy is Back in Business - BusinessWeek” plus 4 more

Philosophy is Back in Business - BusinessWeek
Honda’s design philosophy stresses function - KRDO
VIDEO: Coyotes coaching staff preaches defense and speed - The Hockey News
Conrad Garvey Joins ISCS as Director of Sales - Yahoo Finance
Pride for Republican Philosophy - The Ledger

Philosophy is Back in Business - BusinessWeek

Posted: 12 Jan 2010 02:24 PM PST

Forget economics. Philosophy offers a deeper, broader way of thinking to help guide companies through times made tougher by overspecialized experts

The financial and climate crises, global consumption habits, and other 21st-century challenges call for a "killer app." I think I've found it: philosophy.

Philosophy can help us address the (literally) existential challenges the world currently confronts, but only if we take it off the back burner and apply it as a burning platform in business.

Philosophy explores the deepest, broadest questions of life—why we exist, how society should organize itself, how institutions should relate to society, and the purpose of human endeavor, to name just a few. The Wealth of Nations, a book that serves as the intellectual platform for capitalism, lays out how markets should be organized and how people should behave in such markets. The book's author, Adam Smith, was not an economist, as many believe, but a philosopher. Smith was chairman of the Moral Philosophy Dept. at Glasgow University when he wrote the book.

Like other philosophers, Smith attempted to create a new framework for understanding the world, addressing how we as humans seek alignment in our relationships and among competing interests.

The philosophical approach Smith pursued has faded from use, yet it's more relevant than ever in light of the crises our organizations and countries face. Credit, climate, and consumption crises cannot be solved through specialized expertise alone. These problems, like most issues businesses confront in the global marketplace, feature complex interdependencies that require an understanding of how political, financial, environmental, ethical, and social interests influence each other. A philosophical approach connects the dots among competing interests in an effort to create synergy. Linking competing interests requires philosophers to examine areas that modern-day domain experts too often ignore: core beliefs, ethics, and character.

When I say we need to return to a philosophical approach in relation to problem-solving, I mean that we need to broaden our understanding of problems by looking deeper at our own beliefs, values, ethics, and character, and then understand how they relate to those of others who share a stake in our problem-solving efforts.

Needed: broader questions and goals

This has grown difficult to do at the organizational level because so many our businesses are packed with specialized domain experts. We are having trouble connecting the dots among these knowledge silos to conceive enduring solutions.

Like philosophers, we as individuals and organizations need to keep values, ethics, and the overall human condition in mind as we make decisions and take actions. Among other behaviors, this means hiring for character (in addition to specialized skills), considering the long-term implications (in addition to the short-term rewards) of our decisions, and figuring out how we can create value (in addition to extracting value).

By taking these steps and embracing a more philosophical approach to problem-solving, we will establish our character as the 21st century's defining competitive differentiator. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus so elegantly put it almost 2,500 years ago: "Character is fate." This holds true for individuals and organizations.

I see growing evidence of businesses asserting their desire to address the human condition, which certainly marks a step in the right direction.

My bias stems from my experience as an undergraduate at UCLA, where philosophy lit a fire inside me. By rewarding me for the careful consideration of one idea instead of compelling me to read hundreds of pages of text, philosophy helped me understand why I was struggling in all other academic areas. I studied philosophy for seven years before I went to law school, where I took eight classes in jurisprudence, which is essentially the philosophy of law.

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Honda’s design philosophy stresses function - KRDO

Posted: 12 Jan 2010 09:02 AM PST

Honda isn't typically singled out for its design expertise. Instead, it is the fun-to-drive and rock-solid aspects of Honda vehicles that usually get top billing. But quietly, Honda has been capturing more and more international kudos for its leading-edge design work, and we were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Nobuki Ebisawa, the corporate managing director and general manager of styling and design development, to talk about it.

Ebisawa stressed two simple and overarching themes for Honda design: dynamism and functionality. He said the company's designers still draw inspiration from the functional designs of the first-generation Civic and first-generation Accord that were drawn in the same nondescript design studio in which Ebisawa and his crew work today. And at the same time, they look back all the way to the 1963 S500 sports car to channel the dynamism that helps set the brand apart.

Ebisawa is proud of what he calls "an unbroken chain of dynamism and functionality" that stretches from those earliest models through the legendary Acura NSX sports coupe of the '90s to the Honda Odyssey minivan that transformed its segment. He expects that the upcoming hybrid Honda CR-Z, which was shown in concept form at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, will draw on both aspects of the Honda personality. Functionality will be characterized by the fuel-efficient hybrid drivetrain, and dynamism will be expressed by the car's style and fun-to-drive nature.

While the exterior design of Honda vehicles has not always been highly praised, the interior of its vehicles -- and especially their instruments and controls -- have routinely been lauded around the globe. Ebisawa cites his group's intense study of the "man-machine interface" for this, noting that Honda has long relied on the philosophy "Man maximum, machine minimum" in its designs. This means that Honda's controls are intended to be intuitive, not intrusive: to help the driver, not to challenge the driver or to make a design statement for design's sake.

An example of this effort is the bi-level instrument panel seen on the current Honda Civic. Intuitive operation and instant recognition were keys in the design, and Ebisawa said that in the "layered construction," perceived space is enhanced and line of sight movement minimized to prioritize information. Special effort goes into achieving natural hand position and create buttons that are easily understood. Ebisawa believes that voice support is the next frontier in making things simpler and more functional.

Since 2000, said Ebisawa, Honda design execs made the conscious decision to add emotional appeal to the company's vehicles without compromising functionality. In keeping with the "man maximum, machine minimum" philosophy, space has been intentionally reduced for mechanical components, and interior space with long rooflines has been increased to maximize usable roominess.

The Honda CR-Z, which will be launched next year, will encapsulate all these ideas in a vehicle that is functional and emotional, dynamic yet pragmatic. It draws on Honda's long heritage while at the same time presenting a new face and a new heart. The CR-Z will also be the harbinger of even more fascinating products from the carmaker that was once best known for its motorcycles.

Tom Ripley Driving Today Contributing Editor Tom Ripley writes frequently about the auto industry and the human condition from his home in Villeperce, France. He is a big fan of the art world.

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VIDEO: Coyotes coaching staff preaches defense and speed - The Hockey News

Posted: 12 Jan 2010 12:15 PM PST

VIDEO: Coyotes coaching staff preaches defense and speed

Dave Tippett was hired in the fall by Phoenix after being let go by the Dallas stars at the end of the 2008-09 season. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

2010-01-12 09:29:00

The Phoenix Coyotes surprising first half is one of the feel-good stories of the year. Despite all the uncertainty the Coyotes faced this past summer they have been able to put that turmoil behind them and focus on winning hockey games.

And one of the reasons for their success is the new team philosophy instituted by the coaching staff. The hiring of Dave Tippett and the addition of Dave King as his assistant has brought stability to a team that was on the brink of extinction.

While the Coyotes have played well thus far the true test of their new system will come in the stretch run to the playoffs. Rory Boylen takes a closer look at the change in philosophy in the desert.

Watch more THN.com video features HERE.

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Conrad Garvey Joins ISCS as Director of Sales - Yahoo Finance

Posted: 12 Jan 2010 01:34 PM PST

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - 01/12/10) - ISCS, developer of the property/casualty insurance industry's most modern, field-proven, end-to-end solution, the SurePower Innovation� Policy Administration Suite, is pleased to announce Conrad Garvey has joined the company as Director of Sales.

For insurance companies evaluating policy administration systems, Garvey brings a deep knowledge of the complete insurance cycle and rich insight into insurance company, MGA and agent needs. Prior to joining ISCS, Garvey most recently held a policy administration system sales and sales management position for a major software vendor. His experience also includes sales of large systems and agency management software at Applied Systems and AMS; management and application software sales at IVANS; and owner of Comand Industries, a personal lines comparative rating software company.

"We are excited to welcome Conrad Garvey to the ISCS-SurePower Innovation team," said Tim Shelton, executive vice president of ISCS. "Conrad has a long history of success and a great reputation in the industry. There were many paths he could have taken, and we are very pleased he chose ISCS as the next step in his career."

Both Garvey and ISCS believe the right selection process builds a foundation for the solution to drive an insurance company's growth and success. The process can and should include strategic decision making, mutual discovery, proper expectation setting, and open methods that carry through deployment to a long-term, trusted partnership. ISCS is unique in the industry in the visibility into projects that it provides customers by successfully using state-of-the-art agile methodology. Garvey's goal is to extend this partnering approach and open philosophy to the ISCS sales process.

"ISCS's continuing growth, business philosophy and mature technology inspired me to join the company," said Garvey. "ISCS's differentiators in their product, people, and processes also present a compelling business case. That gives a sales professional the luxury of focusing on the strategic advantages the solution delivers, knowing the functionality and resources are there to follow through."

About ISCS

P&C carriers and MGAs rely on the modular, Web and SOA-based SurePower Innovation Policy Administration Suite to perform critical business processes for commercial, personal and specialty lines of business. These include underwriting automation, policy and claims management, integrated reinsurance, integrated billing and much more. The system provides integrated document management, a rules-based data warehouse, and document imaging client tool for bulk indexing and LDAP-standards security. With modern highly scalable, extensible, and configurable technology, SurePower Innovation enables insurers of all sizes to meet today's market requirement for business agility. SurePower Innovation Policy Administration Suite is a company-wide, strategic choice for carriers to retain customers and increase their book of business.

For more information contact Phil Kiekhaefer, Ph.D., Director of Marketing & Usability for ISCS, at 1-888-901-ISCS, phil.kiekhaefer@iscs.com, or visit www.iscs.com

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Pride for Republican Philosophy - The Ledger

Posted: 11 Jan 2010 10:25 PM PST

What do Republicans stand for and why am I proud to be a registered Republican? It's simple, just read state Rep. Seth McKeel's treatise to the citizens of Florida House District 63 ["Overcome Obstacles in Decade of 2010s," op-ed column, Jan. 7].

Thank you, Seth McKeel, for your unselfish service, for effectively stating your plan to position Lakeland, Polk County and Florida for success in the future, for sharing with us your God-given talents and for your inspiring leadership.

Neither Knute Rockne, George Patton nor Tim Tebow could have more effectively laid out the game plan or inspired "the troops" than you did in your message to the citizens of District 63.

MARK WELLMAN

Lakeland

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Philosophy

Tuesday, January 12, 2010